Three days after the Clutters’ funeral, the wedding of one of the surviving Clutter daughters, Beverly, takes place in the same church. This is explained by the fact that the wedding had already been arranged prior to the family tragedy, and the couple decide to have their wedding when all their relatives are already gathered on the spot.

Like the Clutter funeral, this wedding is of note in the community. This reflects the Clutters’ high social standing, which is in direct contrast to the two young men who murdered four members of the family. Perry is awed to read an account of the funeral in the news, which reports that a thousand people attended.

A thousand people! Perry was impressed. He wondered how much the funeral had cost.

We see from this reaction how Perry, like Dick, is always preoccupied by the thought of money. Unlike the Clutters, they simply never have enough of it, and their motive for killing the Clutters is of course an entirely mercenary one.